Korea and the Forgotten War. It’s 1945 when the book opens and the Japanese, who have colonised Korea since 1910, have just been driven out. Korea is finally independent. But within 5 years the country is plunged into a brutal civil war, the consequences of which we still live with today. There are two strands to the novel, one concerning a village girl Iseul and her struggles throughout that war, and her granddaughter Jia who becomes invested in finding out more about her grandmother whilst facing her own struggles in the competitive South Korea of today. This is not an easy read. It jumps about in time and space, and with its multiple characters and viewpoints, need careful reading. Overall it has much to commend it, particularly from an historical and cultural aspect, and there is a lot the reader will learn. However, I did not find it an engaging read as I found I could not relate to either Iseul or Jia, although I appreciated finding out about their lives. Specific in its time and place, the themes of love, loss, family, betrayal and the cost of war are of course timeless and I note that many readers have enjoyed it more than I did. I also have to quibble with the language. I assume that English is not the author’s first language, which makes it remarkable that she can write such an accomplished novel. However I found the mistakes in grammar, vocabulary and idiom jarring, and only wish there had been a more vigilant editor. Worth reading, yes, although I heaved a sigh of relief when I finished.